War for the Skies (completed) (Book 1 of the Heroes of the Realms series)

Chapter 40

Fear crept it's was back into my mind as I started to process where we were. It was dark, alright, but we were in the middle of a crowded city, full of humans... just many cars on the road and people walking around. It sure didn't look like the Cursed Lands.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"I think it's pretty obvious," Skylar replied. "We're back on earth."

"How does that make any sense?"

The gateway had allowed the Cursed soldiers to come through, so unless somehow they passed through this city absolutely unnoticed, there was no way this was logical.

"Earth..." Mia muttered.

We walked along the sidewalk, bumping into busy foreigners, who muttered something in their own language. What was it...?

We continued walking along the tall buildings until suddenly a giant bridge with three arches, intertwined, over a giant lake.

"This is..." Skylar caught her breath. "This is the Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge. We're in Brazil!"

"Did you fools think I would give you a quick way into my Realm?" we heard a voice from our right say, which I recognized.

"Tormenius," I said and turned to face his direction. The same ghostly shape was floating about and then settled on leaning on a street lamp. This time, his eyes glowed ten times brighter and provided the only light in the street in the night sky.

"Hello, Heroes," he sneered. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I couldn't let..." he counted us, "five strangers enter my Realm... especially if they weren't cursed."

I screamed and threw a cloud of wind at him.

It went right through his body and slammed into a car windshield, sending it back a few feet. The driver screamed some words in... what was the language...? Portuguese, right. Then the driver went right through Tormenius, and still shouting, took a left and continued.

Tormenius chuckled. "Have fun getting back to Rome," he said and opened up another purple portal.

Mia and Dawn looked lost.

Before I could react, a gunshot sounded from behind and a bullet sailed towards Tormenius. I expected it to go right through him, but it actually collided with his huge arm, and he screamed in pain. The portal closed and Tormenius fell to his knees.

I looked behind us and saw Death, with two revolvers in his hand, one of them facing Tormenius.

"Miss me?" he asked, then ran towards us, pushed us out of the way and then tackled Tormenius.

Somehow he was able to touch the Legend, and it seemed strange for a fully solid form to be able to punch and shoot a ghost.

Tormenius screamed loudly, and a huge purple blast shot Death flying back across the street, and then getting hit by a car. The driver swerved to the left in fear, and Death fell down off, into the sea.

"That was anti-climatic," Mia said calmly.

Tormenius grew out purple, ghostly legs, and my assumption of him wearing jeans was confirmed, though I don't think that was at all very important. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going."

He opened up another portal, but before he could go through, another bullet shot him in the shoulder. Another scream followed.

I looked towards where Death had fallen and noticed that he was now standing on a black cloud, which was apparently helping him fly. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, liar."